The Seahawks' chances of missing the playoffs are slim, but pessimism isn't totally baseless going into Sunday against the 49ers due to injuries at linebacker and Russell Wilson coming off a rough passing performance.

The Seahawks bounced back from a slow start on offense to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 21-7 Monday night, improving to 8-5 on the season and all but ensuring a trip to the playoffs in January. But the final score doesn’t quite tell the story of Seattle’s performance on offense

The Seahawks odds of making the postseason can improve to over 98 percent with a win over Minnesota -- but that's easier said than done against a Vikings team that ranks seventh-overall against the run.

Headlines heading into Sunday's game centered on ex-Seahawks and current 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman making his return to Seattle. By game's end, though, it was another defensive player that stole the spotlight.

The Seahawks are in the driver's seat in December. After their 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers, Seattle holds a vital tiebreaker over another NFC wild card contender and will play four of their final five games at home.

The Seahawks haven't clinched a trip to the postseason, but their path to the playoffs looks a whole lot smoother following their 30-27 win over Carolina Sunday. Stacy Rost shares her takeaways from Seattle's victory.